'Happiest Cities In America' Ranking Includes 2 MD Cities

BALTIMORE, MD — Two Maryland cities — Baltimore and Columbia — have been ranked by the personal-finance website WalletHub among the Happiest Cities in America.

For the third consecutive year, Columbia has made the list and landed in the top 10.

Baltimore ranked 160th out of 182 communities. It was 139th for emotional and physical well-being; 165th for income and employment; and 163rd for community and environment.

WalletHub compared 182 of the largest U.S. cities to determine which is home to the happiest people in America. The outlet examined each city based on 29 key indicators of happiness, ranging from income-growth rate to depression rate and average leisure time spent per day.

The top 10 communities on the 2024’s Happiest Cities in America for best mental and physical well being are:

1. Fremont, CA
2. Overland Park, KS
3. San Jose, CA
4. Madison, WI
5. Irvine, CA
6. Honolulu, HI
7. San Francisco, CA
8. Pearl City, HI
9. Columbia, MD
10. Scottsdale, AZ

Location plays a hand in happiness, along with overall physical and mental health, strong social connections, job satisfaction and financial well-being, the folks at WalletHub said. But people who earn $75,000 a year won’t get any higher satisfaction from more money. And the U.S. is one of the richest countries, but it ranks 15th on the World Happiness Report.

Columbia ranked higher in these metrics:

• 5th – Emotional & Physical Well-Being
• 170th – Income & Employment
• 60th – Community & Environment

"This continued recognition speaks to our ongoing efforts to ensure we are offering all our residents the best the quality of life. People want to live, work, play and grow here because of our quality schools, flourishing hub of arts and culture, recreational activities and green space, robust businesses and the strong sense of community. As we continue to build a diverse and inclusive community, Columbia and Howard County as a whole, continue to thrive," said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball.

Related:

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